WR.....

i saw him.....torchic, u probably wld 've bumped into him at e mrt station on ur way 2 work every morning......

he's a sweet-talker.......he has tonnes o galfriends......he can make e bird fly down fr e tree......

i dunno him tt well actually......i dun even know when his bday is......i dun remember at all.....no idea at all.......

she's ok......

i'm glad she's ok!!!!

still no news.....

there's still no news......i hope she's fine......i dun usually pray.....but now i'm praying wif all my heart tt she's ok......goosebumps all over when i read e news......i console her tt she said she's coming bk b4 e new yr.....she was relieve but i'm watching e news 4 any developments....i hope she's in s'pore....but she wrote her last email in thailand on e 25th.....i hope she's ok......

15 mins officially....

i've 15 mins officially b4 i shld start working......

i know i promise myself tt i'll do sme reflection but i didn't do tt...much as least...i was busy sleeping & making x'mas cards...yes i made e cards during x'mas day so much 4 early greetings...i made a record over 30 cards 4 tis x'mas......every1 had a similar card.....adapted fr last yr's cards.....

every1 says tt it's e tot tt counts....i hope so 2.....

ok i've reflected on a few things e last couple o days.....1st, i wonder if my family wld b closer if i die.....i was really hoping 4 a family gathering 2 celebrate my mom's bday.....but in e end, only half e family strength turned up.....i was tinking o making an effort 2 get every1 2 go, but i didn't even try.....i was juz 2 lazy......my family is not 1 2 display affect openly.....everytime i took time 2 make a card or smething 4 sme1, my dad wld ask me y i'm making it? "u 2 free is it??" i dunno, i feel great tt at least e friends whom i give e cards 2 smehow appreciate it more.......mayb tt's y i always make it a pt 2 make them....at e very least they say thk u......i dunno if it's juz my family....we dun really talk.....i'm closer 2 my friends then i m 2 my family....i can talk 2 my friends more than i can talk 2 my family....mayb i didn't try 2 talk 2 them.....i wonder if my family feels e same.....i felt really jealous smehow when i was at swing's place e other time, watching her family have dinner 2gather.....even though she complains abt how her mum can get really irritating at times (i can vouch 4 tt!!!).....at e veyr least i can really c a family there......i dunno if it's cos my family is so big tt's y it's hard......smetimes i tink tt i'm e 1 gelling e family 2gather.....i always make an effort 2 include every1.....but now i dun even try.....i'm juz so tired.....i hate having 2 make an effort when no1 else care.....i hate it.....i hate myself for not trying anymore......i hate it.......

i'm supposed 2 b working but i'm still blogging away.....

2nd, friends.....i didn't know i actually inspired u Jancy!!! it's great 2 know tt at least once in ur life smething u did actually matter......i've never had 2 great a dreams......yes i did dream o becoming a psychologist.....i'm still dreaming o it.....i really hope tt smeday i can fulfill tt dream....if only i try harder!!!! i try 2 stay in touch wif those whom i know i haven contacted.....but i wonder if they appreciate my doing so......mayb they tink i'm such a bother......i'm writing n essay 4 each 1 o my close buddies.....i hope they appreciate it.....i may not b able 2 write congruently or even comprehend my tots/feelings corrently, but i'm trying.....i may write things which doesn't make sense or simply juz rubbish, but i tried.......so dun take offense at wat i wrote.....i'm juz writing......if u dun like wat i wrote juz 4get abt it......& yes, i'm gg 2 telling u gals who i'm pursuing......i've tot abt it, & i tink it's no big deal......it's funny how u gals r so kp abt it!!!! heheehe.....if i tell u dun faint or laugh 2 much!!!!

ok, i tink i beta go bk 2 work, 10mins overdue oredi......

i pray 4 u.....

i hope u r ok.....i hope u r bk in s'pore......i pray tt u r alright.....

changes....

i dunno if i've changed.....i tink i did.....i tink i let more pple into my life then i used 2 b.....i was guarded in e past cos i felt stupid 2 've been hurt badly by a friend....a friend i tot wld never hurt me.....but as e yrs go by, i felt tt guarding myself is so tiring.....i feel tt i'm not being me anymore....i felt comfortable talking 2 u.....more & more comfortable.....but there was a period when i actually felt tt we drifted apart......but now, i felt more at ease cos i know even if u judge me, it's 4 my own gd......i dunno if i shld b so trusting.....i was so stupid 2 b so trusting b4, wld i get hurt again? i hope not......but i'm still guarded smetimes cos i dunno how 2 react & i didn't 1 2 get hurt......it's painful......but i really 1 2 b able 2 really talk & not b all alone.....i may b blunt a lot o e times but i never meant 2 hurt any1, & i know u know......smetimes i dun tell u everything cos i'm embarrassed o telling it......i dunno how 2 say it.......mayb u know but never told me.....i tink i still trying 2 explore myself everyday.....trying 2 feel as best as i can.....trying 2 grow up.....i appear 2 b practical & logical most o e time but i 1 2 b more emotional 2......i'm trying 2 b.....i dunno......i feel stupid smetimes......i try 2 laugh at every little thing 2 lift my spirit.....i try 2 remain calm....i try 2 widen my horizon more.....i try 2 read more....i try 2 b more responsible.....i try 2 b politically correct.....i try 2 understd.....i try not 2 tink so much.....i try not 2 procrastinate but end up being rash.....i'm trying 2 hard smetimes......or mayb i'm not.....but as long as u try it's gd enough isn't it????sprouting random tots again......so far i've written 1 letter 2 a friend, buti tink tt letter is gg 2 bring me trouble cos i meant 2 explain but i tink my letter didn't comprehend tt.....i tink i still have at least 10 letters tt i 1 2 write......i'm gg 2 go home sleep then start writing at nite...tt's when i get all emotional & i can cry all i 1 w/o any1 knowing......i tink i know y u tink i've change.....i never used 2 cry in front o pple.....now i really dun bother.....i dun like 2 cry in front o pple cos 1stly i look ugly, 2ndly cos i feel vulnerable.....till now i still can't get over being hurt......

ST Dec 24, 2004

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT: THAILAND
Let's hear it for the children
By Nirmal Ghosh
THAILAND CORRESPONDENT

POI PET (CAMBODIA) - WHEN it rains, Krousar Thmey's shelter for children in Poi Pet, across the Thai border in Cambodia, starts flooding. Below the walls of a giant casino where millions are gambled every day, the children of Krousar Thmey pick up toddlers and wade through shin-deep water to do their chores. A pedestal fan churns hot, humid air inside a hut on stilts which serves as the office of the Phnom Penh based non-government organisation (NGO).

Krousar Thmey means 'new family'. Here the children are free of the circumstances they have been rescued from - the bondage of illegal traffickers and exploiters. Some have been repatriated from Thailand, where they were sent to beg on the streets of Bangkok or work in airless sweatshops or sordid brothels. Some were taken off the streets of Poi Pet itself, where they would sniff glue and split methamphetamine pills to help pass the night.

Poi Pet is a funnel for traders in everything from clothes to people. Around 60 per cent of the town comprises a floating transient population out to make a quick buck - or just to survive.

When I walked into Poi Pet, from Aranyaprathet on the Thai side, several hustlers approached me to offer visa services, transport to Siem Reap, and women - in that order.

Krousar Thmey attempts to find the children's homes and families, assess their circumstances and reunite the children with them. It has a 70 per cent success rate, mainly because of follow-up and insistence that the children should go to school - for which Krousar Thmey provides support. In some cases, children come back to the shelter, and some stay on or are successfully re-housed with other families.

Like the water that swirls through the low-lying Krousar Thmey village, many NGOs in Poi Pet fill the holes left by a government that has inherited a country gutted by war, and struggles to implement a semblance of policy through a machinery that is often distorted by corruption.

Illegal migration - often abetted by people smugglers, which is another term for human traffickers - is an everyday phenomenon on Thailand's borders. In recent months, it has been the focus of new attention as governments in the region realise the phenomenon is almost out of control; the Thai government estimates that there are at least one million foreigners - mostly from Myanmar, followed by Cambodia - working inside Thailand. And that does not count the family members who are with them.

An unprecedented agreement was signed last month in Yangon between six countries of the greater Mekong sub-region, one of the world's hot spots for human trafficking: Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Preventive measures
MINISTERS pledged to 'address trafficking from a comprehensive perspective, encompassing areas of policy and cooperation at the national and international levels; legal frameworks, law enforcement and criminal justice; protection, recovery and reintegration of victims; as well as preventive measures'.

After the legalese it will be implementation that counts. This was stressed repeatedly at another forum in Bangkok recently, to which youth representatives from Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines were invited to give their views. Organised jointly by Ecpat (End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) and two United Nations organisations, the workshop was part of a review of commitments and action plans against the sexual exploitation of children.

The MOU signed in Yangon did not refer to the need to consult the most vulnerable group under discussion - children themselves.

Such non-consultation, say NGOs which have worked closely with children, means agreements and action plans are usually weighted towards law rather than in-country and cross-border security and protection of human rights - which is what the children need.

An interesting comment was made on the issue of children being heard, after the Ecpat-UN review in Bangkok. A youth delegate from the Philippines sat together with representatives from Thailand and Cambodia. The rest of the panel comprised adults working for UN agencies and Ecpat. Together, they faced a modest gathering of local and international press.

After several questions were directed to the adults and answered by them, the youth delegates were given a chance to speak. The Filipina mentioned that she had been disappointed that 'hardly anyone' had turned up for their own workshop. The Thai delegate said: 'Many actions that are well intentioned, do not however address the needs of children.'

She singled out the media as failing in its responsibility to deliver content both truthfully and sensitively, with a clear distinction between good and bad. And she gave some insight into issues that bother children.

'From our perspective, often the exploiters are not strangers but family members or other people we are close to and respect and trust. From the children's perspective, it is a beautiful world without deceit; when bad things happen, who do we turn to?'

And to underscore the importance of the issue, the Filipina delegate declared abruptly: 'I'm sorry, this conference is not child friendly at all,' before pushing her chair back and walking out.


i hope tt e conference tt children's society is hosting next yr wld create greater awareness not juz in s'pore but also ard e region.....hopefully everything will turn out gd! cross my fingers

all alone.....

all alone in my office.....i guess every1 else decided 2 eat snake since it's x'mas eve & boss is not in.....she juz walked in.....e colleague tt i was comtemplating on blogging......she really a weird person.....i have difficulties communicating wif her a lot o e times......aiya, i've got 2 do my article reading b4 i can blog.....prob blog after x'mas.......i'll write a special's of her 1 day.......

Miss you finally by Trademark.....

But I miss you finally
But I miss you finally
Try to remember all these years
We shared the love we shared the tears
Thought that forever it would be
I realize you lie to me
I still hold on
Still dream of days when we were one
[CHORUS]
You played with my heart
You played with my mind
But I miss you finally
Right from the start
My love made me blind
But I miss you finally
All of these promises you made
This 4 letter word it seems to...
Baby it's hard to understand
Now that you're gone
We reached the end
I still believe
Still dream of days when we were one
[Chorus 3X]
You played with my heart
You played with my mind
Right from the start
My love made me blind

Miss you finally by Trademark.....

pursuing is really hard work.....i dun tink i 1 2 take up e task.....mayb not 4 e time being.....i'm tired physically at e very least.....it's great fun......but it takes a bit o skill 2 which i totally lack.....i'll try again when i feel up 2 it......

terror attacks.....everyday.....wat is e world becoming?????? can't a single day b w/o any violence????? juz 1 day......mayb 1 hr???? 1 min????? o peace?????

Today December 22, 2004

FLIP SIDE OF ABUSE

Mei Tan

AS I write this letter, feelings of guilt, anger and pain start to flow in my heart. My story began just after Christmas last year. We employed a domestic helper to help around the house and take care for my two sons, aged three and a newborn. I would rate her as a capable worker and fast learner. I trusted her a lot.

But I ended up spending New Year in hospital with my then two-month-old boy who suffered from two skull fractures. After an hour of persistent questioning, my helper admitted she had dropped my baby, who hit his head against the side of the rocker.

The police started their investigations when the doctors found that the injuries were not consistent with what the helper had said and the Ministry of Community Development,Youth and Sports stepped in as this could be a case of child abuse.

We sent the helper back to the agency and cancelled her contract. We were told by the police to write to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to place her on a special pass while the investigations were carried out; she would be placed in remand under the agency's care.

We were also told by the maid agency that we had to bear the levy for as long as the helper was in Singapore. I found out later (in March) that I could write to MOM to explain the circumstances and ask to be exempted from paying the levy. We then had no further contact with the maid agency — until October, when I received a call from the agency demanding that I pay the $5,000 bond as the helper had gone missing since July and her special pass would expire on Nov 2. The agency also said the police had decided to prosecute her and would also charge her for being an illegal immigrant, as this was her second escape from the boarding house. The first time, she was found eating at a hawker centre.

Where did she get the money to pay for the food? Had she perhaps been allowed by the agency to work part-time illegally?

I was disgusted that the agency had not done its job in keeping an eye on her and that it had not bothered to check that I had earlier bought insurance for the bond.

I also have not heard from the police since June. Every attempt made to contact the officer in charge of the case was in vain. Other official bodies also could not shed light on the matter.

The authorities should have the courtesy to let me know the status of the case, so that I can close this traumatic chapter.

I thank God today, my boy is a happy and healthy 13-month-old. We always read about helpers being abused and how they get little help. What happens if the tables are turned? How often, if and when, do we hear of abuse to children, be it physical or sexual, by these helpers? Are there any statistics or surveys about such abuses?

I am all for organisations such as Aware and TWC2 which foreign domestic helpers can turn to for help.

But what about employers like me? Who do we turn to for help? I believe that when faced with such crises, many employers simply terminate the contracts and send the helpers home, for fear of the financial burden or long time needed to sort out the problem.

I am a good example. It has been a year and the case is still pending.

What happens, when it is through no fault of the employer (as in my case) that the helper goes missing? Is it fair for the employer to be responsible for the bond?

I also feel maid agencies have too much autonomy. As such, some conduct their businesses in an improper manner. Finally, I hope a group can be set up to act as a mediator for the employers/employees. And for parents with similar experiences, I wish you well and ask that you speak up. It helps.

Mei Tan is a 35-year-old homemaker who wrote this letter to Today. Have you a view? Tell us at news@newstoday.com.sg

My sis had a lot o trouble wif her maid as well.....she has since changed countless maids & wif e recent events o maids dumping babies off high-rise flats, i tink she's having 2nd tots o employing 1 but no choice cos she has 3 little 1s 2 take care o.......

i dun deny tt e maid has 2 work doubly hard in our h/h cos there r really tonnes o clothes 2 wash cos o my very big family......& i dun deny tt my bro-in-law is a "gd employer".......he demands 2 much fr e maid.......however e hassle & e financial burden levied on 1 is really a lot when u encounter problems wif maids.......tt's y a lot o pple juz choose 2 send e maid bk instead o pursuing matters further.......these maids i presume will come bk 2 s'pore 2 work again......& e next family has 2 go thro' all e nightmare again......

i really hope tt more can b done abt maid problems.....but now i'm not in e rite frame o mind 2 tink o a possible solution......i'll try 2 tink abt it during my scheduled vacation wif myself.....i'll reserve a slot 2 review all social issues then i can blog abt it........

Today December 21, 2004

'Slamming' 'tude
She's a maverick who shocks, inspires and cares deeply
Surekha A Yadavsurekha@newstoday.com.sg

SHORTLY after the earth-shaking events of 911, Singaporean Greta Georges and her mother sent out more than 200 letters to prominent groups and individuals all over world – from rock band U2 to United States President George W Bush.

This led up to the planet's first World Harmony Day, which mother and daughter organised on Feb 2, 2002 at 20.02 pm, at Suntec City.

The event included a two-minute vigil in honour of all who have lost their lives in war.

"We didn't have, and still don't have, a message. For us, it is just about making it known that we are for peace," says Greta.

Pulling the whole thing together single-handedly was "very tough" and "quite the emotional ride." But the effort paid off. Support flooded in, and today, World Harmony Day is an annual event supported by international organisations including the United Nations.

As a maverick poet-film-maker-activist, Greta tends to both shock Singaporeans and inspire the world in turn.

She spouts poetry off the cuff and sings, shouts and dances — doing what is called "slamming", a poetic form of rap battling. Only, this performance isn't limited to salon recitals. "One morning, I had to give up my seat to a pregnant lady on the train. So that afternoon, I decided to get a seat for myself by dressing up as pregnant lady — but I still could not get a seat, so I "slammed" to show my displeasure," says Greta, adding that apart from looking startled, the passengers showed no reaction. It is this kind of apathy here that Greta doesn't understand.

"I was brought up to think, pay attention to my world, have an opinion and share it. That is what I'm going to do," she says.

She has always beaten her own path. By 16, Greta had travelled across America alone. By the time she was 20, she had been across the globe.

Emblazoned on her tattered, once-white backpack are the words, "Universal Peace Forum, Barcelona".

"I was there for a month for the Condition of Peace dialogue and I shot my second movie there," she says. At 23, she looks more like a bouncy teenager than world-weary traveller and cynical, Michael Moore-type documentary-maker.

The movie she refers to, Weapons Of Mass Deception, is "a parody of everything (US President) Bush said", says Greta. With one cameraman and a microphone, she ran around at the forum trying to pull together the movie without a script.

"Everything was impromptu. I would attend a forum and accost the speakers afterwards for sound-bites. I was a madwoman," she said with a laugh. What intrigues her is how views differed from nationality to nationality on the issue of weapons of mass destruction.

"It is very interesting, this difference. A professor could tell me with great confidence which countries carried the weapons, while a man from the Congo told me the "weapons" were the repressed people in his village."

She intends to submit the movie in local film-making competitions.

Her upbringing is as unusual as her choice of path in life. At 2, she left her birth town in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, when her mum ran away from an unpleasant marriage. "So drama right? But I think it's because of who my mother is, that I am what I am," she said. Her standard joke about her father, whom she has not seen in years, is: "He is not a terrorist."

But her mum, an events planner, has become her partner in her battles for the things she believes in — such as peace. Right now, Greta is hard at work on her next film project. "I don't want to say what it is just yet, except I'm going to film in the Middle East," she says with an elusive smile.


i know her fr dragonboat......she's flamboyant i wld describe......i never knew she was doing so much.....i admire her....i'm jealous o her even.......

when do u know.............

when do u know.................how do u know............can u tell me...............so different..................yet so much fun.............................flirting..................m i????????????????stupid................insensitive.......................another bruise..................do i flirt??????????i tink so.......................didn't hurt any1 rite?????????????i hope...............beautiful song....................u & i .................yi xiang qing yuan.....................stupid...................................

stupid....

stupid files....where did i save them under????????? shoot..........

stupid computer.........playing me out...............shoot..............

i 1 2 go toilet but i can only go 2 e gents........but i know there r others still ard......i dun 1 2 b stuck in e gents wif any o e lecturers inside.............shoot..............

i'm bored 2 death!!!!!!!!!!! no1 online...........& tis stupid computer is taking 4ever 2 copy e files.....................

i'm cold & hungry & urgent................all thks 2 my stupid procrastinations................shoot................................................

bruises.....

ok.....after 1 week o activities i've officially accumulated 11 bruises.....

e wk beginning 13/12 to 19/12 activities done:
mon - slack
tue - rockclimbing
wed - tkd
thu - pilates cum mini bicycle accident
fri - slack
sat - cycling
sun - pestered by insurance agent

bruises:
2 on left hand
1 on rite hand
4 on left leg
3 on rite leg
1 on left hip


i shld take more vitamin C according 2 KJ....help 2 strengthen capillary or smething like tt.....i tink i shld open my eyes bigger instead.....& b less clumsy.....

great cycling trip on sat 2 pengarang btw...although my bum still hurts now....sitting on cushions now.....dun understd...i've such a huge fleshy bum.....shld 've enough cushioning.....but still hurts bad man.......

ok i'll quit complaining & start doing my stupid data entry...i've been cracking my brain 4 e past 1 hr trying my extreme hardest 2 do e accounting.......shoot....i really suckk at accounts.........

ST Dec 16, 2004

Dutch doctors support infant euthanasia

THE HAGUE - DOCTORS in the Netherlands are calling for laws allowing them to end the lives of newborns with intolerable and incurable illnesses.

Doctors from the country's eight university hospitals have asked that a committee of experts be set up to consider the issue, a BBC report said yesterday.

The Dutch government will give its opinion over the next few months.

The proposed committee of experts would define the criteria that would apply to infant euthanasia in children born with extreme malformations, for instance they may have no brain.

It would relate to only about 600 infants in the world and between 10 and 15 in The Netherlands, the BBC report said.

The move has revived the debate on the controversial issue of euthanasia.

Doctors here say paediatricians worldwide are in favour of ending the lives of newborns in
certain circumstances.


When is it ever rite 2 end sme1's life.........

ST Dec 17, 2004

Marriage offers health benefits

WASHINGTON - MARRIED people are healthier than other adults, though husbands have a tendency to pack on extra kilograms, says the US National Centre for Health Statistics.

The centre's report on Wednesday, based on a survey of more than 125,000 people, did not specify reasons, but health statistician Charlotte Schoenborn said there are two major theories.

One is that marriage may be protective of health. For example, married couples may have advantages in terms of economic resources, social and psychological support and encouragement of healthful lifestyles.

A second theory is marital selection - the theory that healthy people get married and stay married, whereas less healthy people either do not marry or are more likely to become separated, divorced or widowed.

'Overall, this association between marital status and health persists regardless of socio-economic status, education and poverty, where people were born or their ethnicity,' she said.

The centre reported that among adults 18 years and over, 11.9 per cent said they were in only fair or poor health. Some 10.5 per cent of married people reported being in poor or fair health, while all other groups were higher. At 19.6 per cent, the widowed were the most likely to be in these categories.

'In general, married adults were the least likely to experience health problems and the least likely to engage in risky health behaviour, with the notable exception of being overweight,' Ms Schoenborn wrote.

The report was based on a survey of 127,545 people in 1999-2002 conducted by the centre. In addition to reporting better health overall, the study found that married people said they had less low back pain, fewer headaches and less psychological stress. They also were less likely to drink and smoke and were more physically active than people in general.

But they were not immune to weight problems. Currently, more than half of all adults - 56.7 per cent - are overweight or obese, the centre said.

Some 70.6 per cent of husbands were overweight or obese compared with 65.1 per cent of all men. Some 48.6 per cent of married women were overweight or obese, about the same as the 48.5 per cent of women in general. The largest share of overweight women was among the widowed at 53.2 per cent. -- ASSOCIATED PRESS

1 gd reason(better health) y we shld get married.....but also 1 gd reason(not get over-weight/obese) 4 not getting married!!!

trememdous sadness....

dunno y i feel so sad now......tears r circling in my eyes.....i dunno y tis sudden sadness came over me....it's really suffocating me......i dun miss tis place.....but a lot o things (or shld i say nothing) happened....i had 2 much free time 2 tink when i was working in ntu.....mayb 1 was really lonely when i was here 4 e past 1 yr......mayb i'm re-living tt loneliness again.....mayb tt's y i feel so sad now.....mayb tt's y i feel like crying.....vacation 4 my heart, soul & body scheduled.....taking leave 2 live again......

date wif myself......

ok i've been procrastinating 4 so long i tink i shld pull up my socks.......

it's been a long long time since i've sat down & tot abt things by myself.......i've been pushing things 2 e bk o my head 4 way 2 long......i need 2 rearrange all my tots & feelings once & 4 all......i need 2 do a spring clearing o my heart & soul.......i've decided 2 make a date wif myself......take a day off & really tink.....i've stopped tinking & feeling 4 way 2 long......time 2 get my machine working again......

pls wake up..........................